OBJECTIVETo investigate the secular trend of infection rate, risk factor exposure rates for nosocomial pneumonia (NP), and to evaluate the nosocomial infection surveillance and control programs efficacy in an university hospital from 1993 to 2000.

METHODSAll 126 665 hospitalized patients from 1993 to 2000 were studied for NP. The independent risk factors for NP were analyzed by using case-control study method and logistic regression technique. The time-specific rates for NP and risk factor exposure were calculated annually.

RESULTSThe infection rates for NP were decreased by 50% from 1.20% in 1993 to 0.60% in 2000. The logistic regression analysis showed that the independent risk factors for NP were immunosuppressive therapy (OR = 2.72), chemotherapy (OR = 2.17), cancer (OR = 1.45), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, OR = 1.88), ICU (OR = 3.18), coma (OR = 3.26), tracheotomy (OR = 14.95), hemodialysis (OR = 5.12), bone or lumbar puncture (OR = 1.82). The time-trends for exposure rates of COPD and bone or lumbar puncture were slightly decreased, however those for the others and the synthetic risk factors were not changed significantly.

CONCLUSIONThe infection rates for NP were significantly decreased in the case of no change for exposure rates of risk factors for NP, this suggests that the nosocomial infection surveillance and control programs were effective for lowering infection rate for NP in this hospital.